Rudy Edwards

I had a great session last night. It's not that I'm not talking about tough decisions or potential mistakes... I'm just running really, really hot and there aren't that many rough hands to discuss. Hopefully, this will continue, to the detriment of this blog, but to the benefit of my bankroll.

I sat down at a 1-2 NL game at MGM, and it was a pretty loose game. Early on I get 88, and raise to 10, getting calls from both blinds. the flop is Txx with a flush draw, and the small blind donks out for 20. After the big blind folds, I raise it to 60, and take it down. A few hands later I limp in third with A9s, and the guy to my left raises three limpers to 7. We all call, along with the button, and the flop comes down 9 high with one suit. I check to the raiser, who also checks, but the button bets pot. After it folds to me, I repot on the check-raise, and he thinks for awhile and lays it down, saying his JJ probably wasn't any good, and that he thought I had a set. I smirk, but don't tell him anything.

A few hands later, I have 44 in the big blind, and call that same guy's raise to 12, along with a few other players. I hit a set on the flop, check to him, and when he continuation bets, it folds to me, and I decide that slow playing is a terrible option because I have such an over-aggressive table image, having put in huge raises on the flop 2 hands in my first lap. I raise pot, and he shoves over the top, giving me a sweet stack.

I find this interchange an interesting example of how to work people's incorrect perceptions of you when you're new to a table. I had also thrown a straddle in UTG, which really helped push my over-aggressive image as well.

The next hour or so is pretty quiet, I build up a few more chips with continuation bets. I limp ATs in early position, something that I'll do a reasonable amount once I discover that a table has a tendency not to try and punish limpers. The small blind raises to 12, and I call along with the big blind. The flop comes down Q8s6, giving me a flush draw. The SB bets $35, leaving him $76 back. BB thinks for awhile, and calls, leaving him about $185 behind. I give a lot of consideration to whether I should push or call, and decide that the odds of the BB having two of my clubs are very high. I have less outs than I'd like, but If i hit one, he'll probably pay me off, so I just call.

The small blind goes all in for $76 in the dark, and the turn comes a 9, giving me a gutshot for the straight. I make the small blind for an overpair, probably KK or AA, so it's possible that an A can give me the pot as well, but unlikely. The BB calls, and so do I. I make my gutshot, but not my flush, and get paid off because although I was right that the BB had a flush draw, it was with a 9, and he somehow thought his 9 might be good.

As I write this, I realize that he must not have had 93s as I remember, but 96s or something that gave him two pair, because I really don't think he was dumb enough to put his last $100+ in the pot with second pair ass kicker vs. two opponents.

My real debate is whether or not I was correct to play it the way I did, or If I should have pushed on the flop. As it turns out, my read was correct on both players. I finished up $850 at the MGM, and picked up another $160 later in the night at the Tropicana, giving me my first $1000+ day in NL poker. I've had a few of those at limit, but it's nice to feel like my NL training has been positive. It also gives me the bankroll room to try out 2-5 NL this weekend If I want.